I haven't cleaned out my coop for a while because it's been so cold up here in MN. As it got warmer the last couple days I decided to clean it. But I don't know how. I haven't had chickens very long (I just got my own this last Easter). My parents are bugging me about it saying it has to be clean by tonight.... It reeks so bad because I have nine chickens and six ducks in it and when I try to shovel everything out into the wheelbarrow I can't stand it. The hose is frozen so I won't be able hose the gunk out.... Do you have any strategies you use?? My coop is mildly big.... big enough to hold fifteen animals. when you walk in there is a storage space, then a screen door... and then the coop. (don't worry, I also have a run). Any suggestions would be great before tomorrow....

Oh you poor thing. Manure build up is awful, and the ammonia smell can be overwhelming. It certainly is a hard time to clean the coop.

How large is large?

All I can suggest is to do the best you can, then cover the floor with something easier to keep up and clean every day/week, like sand, and then after the spring thaw, clean it back to bare naked clean.

If it's reeking then you've got more than a dirty coop problem, you've got a potential health problem for your birds. That excessive ammonia smell that makes your eyes water can be dangerous to their lungs and respiratory systems.

Wear a surgical mask that covers your mouth and nose as you clean it out and then do research on different methods of maintaining a coop so that you won't have this problem in the future. If you're looking for a method with little work, I'd recommend you try the Deep Litter method. However, you're going to have to keep plenty of organic matter around such as pine shavings, straw, leaves, shredded newspaper - to keep adding to the deep litter to prevent it from having that "reeking" smell again. Look up Deep Litter here on BYC and you'll find all the info you need.

If it's reeking then you've got more than a dirty coop problem, you've got a potential health problem for your birds. That excessive ammonia smell that makes your eyes water can be dangerous to their lungs and respiratory systems.

Wear a surgical mask that covers your mouth and nose as you clean it out and then do research on different methods of maintaining a coop so that you won't have this problem in the future. If you're looking for a method with little work, I'd recommend you try the Deep Litter method. However, you're going to have to keep plenty of organic matter around such as pine shavings, straw, leaves, shredded newspaper - to keep adding to the deep litter to prevent it from having that "reeking" smell again. Look up Deep Litter here on BYC and you'll find all the info you need.

Good luck!!

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X 2 on all of this. Unfortunately, cold or not, this is something that has to be kept up with as it is not only unpleasant, but health endangering to allow it to reach this sort of point. The use of poop boards can make for easy daily cleaning that takes only minutes as it concentrates the majority of waste (that expelled during roosting hours) in one easy to clean place and enables the use of odor assisting materiel such as PDZ on the poop board. Deep litter method for the floor space is a great way to allow for minimal work time but maintain a "clean" and odor controlled coop. I am using DLM and poop boards in our coop - my daily chores take less than 10 minutes to clean the coop (6x14) and that includes numerous stops to talk to or snuggle a chicken, lol.....no matter how cold or not it is I can be uncomfortable for a few minutes to protect the health and well-being of my flock.